Diaz joins UGA Skidaway Institute faculty

Marine biogeochemist Julia Diaz has joined the faculty of the University of Georgia Skidaway Institute of Oceanography as an assistant professor.

Originally from Alpharetta, Ga., Diaz was graduated summa cum laude from the University of Georgia with a B.S. in biology and went on to earn her Ph.D. in earth and atmospheric sciences from Georgia Tech. She conducted postdoctoral research at Harvard University and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

Diaz’s research examines how the chemistry and microbiology of the oceans shape each other and, ultimately, how this interaction affects ecosystem health from local to global scales. She is currently studying the chemical basis of coral bleaching, a devastating consequence of global warming which threatens coral reefs worldwide.

“I also study how microscopic plantlike organisms acquire the chemical nutrients they need to survive in extremely nutrient-poor areas of the ocean and how these processes may affect ecosystem structure and climate,” she said. “My research has taken me all over the world, from Antarctica to the Caribbean, and now I am very excited to explore new scientific questions along our beautiful coast and offshore waters.”